I am sure all of us have come across a beggar while waiting for the light to turn green at traffic signals, or women selling various kinds of stuff on the ring roads of Delhi. Ever wondered where all these people stay?

In Delhi alone according to some estimates, there are about 1,60,000 homeless people. This estimate could be on the lower side as there are hundreds of people coming into the city every passing minute.

The night shelter on Kudesia Ghar near ISBT is run by an NGO. When asked why don’t they go and live in MCD night shelters, you get a pat reply “There simply aren’t enough night shelters and life in those MCD shelters in horrible. There is no security over there”

In Delhi, there are 64 permanent night shelters operated by various NGOs catering to about 15,000 people. People from various parts of the country come to the metropolis with aspirations of better life, but end up living on the footpath. They are harassed by police, picked up for petty thefts without any witness/proof. The beggary act is exploited and they are apprehended from parks, footpaths and given a good beating.

And the worst kind of exploitation happens with the women who live on the streets. When daughters sleep on the streets, the mothers remain always wide awake. Homeless women are easy pickings for exploiters rampant in a city like Delhi.

Non-profits like Beghar Foundation, founded and run by the homeless themselves are fighting to answer one major question that these homeless people face every day. Who are they? What is their identity? Organizations like Beghar foundation provide their own identity card to the members which sometimes help them in getting out of difficult situations.

Don’t homeless have the right to live? But how will they prove that they are the citizen of India, they don’t have enough money to bribe and get ration cards as is the norm. As our country marches forward on the path of lopsided development urban centres will grow in double digits with rest of the nation lagging behind. There has to be a comprehensive policy for homeless people, on how we as a country can ensure their most basic needs are fulfilled at least.

As an NGO chief points out, the census exercise so far has excluded them but now because of a change in rules they are being counted. Effectively, till a few years back, successive governments never even accorded the dignity of citizenship.

The government should own its responsibility of giving an identity to the homeless by issuing them some sort of card so that they are not exploited. Also, there is a grave need for more homeless shelters especially for the women.

Homeless across the country should be covered in the unorganized worker’s social security Act. As of now, they don’t come under any sector which has made them invisible under the eyes of the government.

Also, there are a lot of vacant, old government buildings across the city which could be used as temporary shelters.

Rajpal Singh, 82 year old man has been living in the night shelters for the last 30 years. In the morning, he usually scrounges for food at temples. This is a true picture of a country that is being toasted across the country where homeless, old and young beg and sleep on the footpaths.

I hope it changes sooner or else there could be thousands of Rajpals lying on the footpaths of Delhi.